Secret of The Copy Ninja
by xXstarryXnightXx
Summary: Life for Kakashi Hatake hasn't been all its cracked up to be. His father is a drunk and abusive man. In response to it, Kakashi tends to have episodes of panic and anxiety and even suicidal thoughts. Can his sensei and his team help the white-haired boy before he drowns himself in his own darkness? Warning; abuse, self harm, depression, etc. Full list at the story's beginning.
1. Prologue

**Secret of the Copy Ninja**

 **-  
Prologue**

 **Hey guys! For those of you who don't really look at my profile or other stories, I've got two more Naruto stories like this one, but this one is extra special. Due to a lack of fan fictions about young Kakashi and his team and a not very angst Kakashi, I believe a change is long overdue. So, without further delay, let me give you the normal warnings and stuff like that, blah blah blah.**

 **WARNING! This story contains; self harm, depression, abuse, suicidal thoughts/behavior, and other things of that nature.**

 **C'mon, someone had to think about this at least once, right? Not sure how often I'll update, it usually takes me a while; I gotta go to college and stuff soon, so, hang in there. Also, I'm a human; I have stuff to do, sadly I can't write fanficiton all day. Now, onto the story! Review below even if you're a visitor, I love getting feedback!**

 **Enjoy,**

 **-xXstarryxnightXx**

 **xXxXxXx**

"Alright guys! Take five!"

The three young ninja nearly collapsed on the ground from training. Minato smiled and said, "Good progress today, guys."

The white haired ninja with two dark eyes starred at his sensei and asked, "Why are we stopping?"

The girl with redish-brown hair, Rin, smiled and joked, "Kakashi, some of us aren't trying to work ourselves to death."

The young boy shrugged and Minato laughed. Not any sooner than their break started, a voice called, "Hey guys!"

Minato and Kakashi both looked over and Rin yelled with joy, "Kushina!"

Kushina laughed and said, "Hello, Rin!"

The red-haired woman walked over to Minato and held out the basket she was carrying and said with a smile, "I made lunch for you guys."

Obito watched and walked over. Kushina squinted her eyes and said, "Hey, knucklehead."

Obito crossed his arms and looked away from her. "Hi Kushina."

Minato laughed nervously and said, "Okay, you two. Let's eat."

During this time, Kakashi is silent. Kushina looked at him and said, "Kakashi, I hope you're not overworking again."

The boy shook his head and said, "No, not really."

Rin interjected, "Liar! He's been working all day and all night for the past three weeks!"

Kushina and Minato look at him and so does Obito. Kakashi said in a monotone, "It's not a big deal; I'm just working hard is all."

Obito whined, "Bakakashi, you always gloat about how hard you work! I've been working hard too!"

Minato shot him a glace that made Obito lose his childish behavior and he got serious. Minato looked at Kakashi and said, "Kakashi, you don't have to work so hard, you know. You can take a break from training all the time for at least a day every now and then."

Kakashi shrugged and began eating after he pulled down his mask. Everyone ate and the two older ninjas watched all three genin closely. Minato and Kushina were already on the same page and they only had to look at each other to know that much.


	2. Chapter 1

**Secret of the Copy Ninja**

 **-  
Chapter 1: The First Sign**

At first, Kakashi wasn't sure what to expect. His father came home drunk, again. He was always drunk when he came home. Kakashi was hiding in his room, hoping his father didn't know he was home. It was almost ten, and Kakashi knew he'd have to stay up until his father was asleep to insure he woke up in one piece. The boy was trying not to tremble or shake, but it was hard not to considering how bad things got when they got escalated from bad to worse. The boy was trying to read when he heard his bedroom door open. His father slurred, "Kakashi, c'mere."

Kakashi felt the dread rise in his body. He stood up and put down the book he was reading on his bed. He walked over to his drunk white-haired father. Sakumo looked at his son and muttered, "You can only do _so_ much for this village. They just want _more_ and _more_. It's _so_ fucked up."

Kakashi just listened and kept his eyes on his father. The shinobi looked at his son with disgust. He muttered, "You're just a little brat, ya know? It's not like anyone will _ever_ appreciate _you_ of all people. You're just some know-it-all brat."

The boy stayed silent, knowing this was going to lead to something bad. Sakumo tried to drink from the empty sake bottle in his hand, only to remember it was empty. He cursed and through the bottle at Kakashi's head. Kakashi ducked before the bottle could hit him. He was used to things like this; it was the normal for Kakashi. He never knew there was anything else but this for the longest time. He never told anyone what went on at home; there was no need. Kakashi knew he was nothing but a brat who nobody would ever care about; his father reminded him almost everyday.

When the bottle crashed against the wall, Sakumo grabbed Kakashi by the collar of his shirt slammed him against the wall. Kakashi was struggling to get free and struggling to be breathe. Sakumo growled, "You little shit! You're the reason your mother died! You're the reason everything fell apart!"

Kakashi was too busy trying to get free to react to his father's statement, but it did hurt. Sakumo through Kakashi against the wall on the opposite side of the room. Kakashi slammed into the wall and fell onto the floor. Sakumo walked over and started pounding his head into the floor. Kakashi didn't have time to scream from trying to catch his breath after being chocked and thrown across the room. He was gasping for air, trying to stay conscious.

He blacked out for what seemed like a second, and when he came to, his father was gone and there was something wet under his head. Kakashi managed to get to his feet and lean against the wall. He started walking to his bed. He sat on the edge and reached under his bed for the first-aid-kit he kept under the bed. He opened it and found butterfly stitches, ointment, and bandages. That was all he needed. He pulled down his mask and took a deep breath. He pulled it back up and then took out the hand mirror he kept in the box in case his face got injured. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to his teammates or his sensei when they saw him the next morning.

Kakashi used the mirror to help apply the butterfly stitches to his split forehead. He took out the Kunai he also kept in the box. It was his emergency tool for "therapy" as Kakashi liked to think. It made him feel less like a freak and more like a person when he did that. He pushed the edge of the weapon into his forearm and cut across horizontally five times. He watched the blood start to come out of the open cuts and remembered he had to wrap them up. He quickly did so before the bleeding got a little out of hand.

He wrapped his arm carefully and thought about what he was going to say to his team in the morning. The little genin sighed and finished wrapping his wounds and put away his kit he manged to put together himself for not only the injuries his father inflicted, but so that he'd be able to take care of the ones he inflicted on himself. Kakashi hid the box again and soon turned the lights out in his room.

Kakashi allowed himself to cry only because it had been a few days since he did. He needed to, just for a minute or two. Before long, Kakashi was in bed, silently crying. Why was he such a failure? How did he make his mother leave him? Why was everything his fault? He wasn't sure, but he was sure he'd have to think up a story to tell his sensei and teammates on his way to meet them in the morning.

 **xXxXxXx**

The next morning, Kakashi woke up feeling as if he'd been thrown into a wall and beaten unconscious. Oh wait, that _did_ happen, didn't it? Kakashi forgot before being reminded as he sat up slowly, feeling sore and strained. Kakashi sighed and stiffly got out of bed and got dressed to meet his teammates. He wore his normal outfit and checked his bandages to make sure he didn't miss anything. Everything was just about covered up, except for the bruises that wrapped around his neck. He was running late and only had time to cover them with his old scarf. His stiff movement and limp would give away that he'd been in some sort of squabble with someone, but there was nothing that could be done about that.

The young genin walked down the street like normal. Nobody noticed him or paid him any attention. Kakashi walked slower than usual to the meeting. This was one of the few times he was ever really late to meet up. He hated being late usually, but this was unavoidable and painful as it was to even be up and walking. He powered through it, convincing himself he had to in order to get stronger to please his father. Kakashi had little hope it would help anything, but he wanted to become stronger than his father and become a greater shinobi than him.

Kakashi finally met Rin, Obito, and Minato at the training grounds. Minato observed the boy's body language and said, "Good morning, Kakashi."

Rin had a worried look on her face. She asked, "Kakashi, why are you limping? Did you get hurt?"

Obito did nothing but watch Kakashi. The white-haired boy said in an apologetic voice, "Sorry for being late. I woke up late."

That sent up red flags in Minato's head. Kakashi was avoiding Rin's question. Minato asked, "Kakashi, what happened? You're limping."

"I fell," Kakashi lied, clearly showing that he'd forgotten to think up a good excuse and only came up with a lame one.

Minato walked forward and eyed the young genin from head to toe. Minato noticed the scarf and asked, "Why are you wearing a scarf? It's not cold outside."

Kakashi said without falter, "I felt like wearing it."

Rin crossed her arms and said, "You got into a fight, didn't you?"

Kakashi answered, "No, I fell."

Minato grabbed the scarf around his neck and yanked it off with one movement. The blond's eyes widened and so did the eyes of the two other genin. Kakashi looked away with a faint blush across what little of his cheeks were showing. He averted their eyes. Minato knelt in front of him and said, "Kakashi, tell me what happened."

Kakashi decided to lie again. He sighed and answered, "I got into a fight, okay? It's not a big deal. Just some bruises. I'm fine."

Minato bought it with hesitation. He asked, "What happened?"

"I got jumped in an alley."

"What?!" Rin squeaked.

Obito finally asked, "What did the guys look like? Did you kick ass?"

Minato waited for Kakashi to answer, but Kakashi said vaguely, "It was dark, I couldn't see. They jumped me, but I got away alright."

Rin sighed and said, "Kakashi, you need to be more careful than that. What else are you hiding? Is that all your injuries?"

Kakashi's heart stopped for a second, but he quickly recovered and said calmly, "Yeah, I have a slight limp too, but otherwise, I'm all good."

Minato had a hard time believing that Kakashi got jumped in an alley and ran away without fighting back. Plus, Minato would've heard about it or Kakashi would've told him instead of lying. Minato decided to ignore all his feelings and said, "Alright, Kakashi, just be more careful, okay?"

He nodded and they began training. Minato watched Kakashi fight Obito very closely. When Kakashi went to kick Obito, he seemed to hesitate and miss. Obito then kicked him in the back, causing Kakashi to gasp. He fell forward onto the ground, seeming to not be able to get up. The pain from being kicked in the same area where he'd hit the wall the night before was hard to ignore. Kakashi stayed on the ground after he'd been thrown down.

Obito started cheering, "Yeah! Take that Bakakashi! Ha ha!"

Rin and Minato rushed over when Kakashi didn't get up after a few seconds. Kakashi was trying to get up, but it was almost impossible. Rin hissed, "Kakashi, lay on your stomach!"

Kakashi was in no shape to protest as she and Minato rolled the boy on his back. Obito walked over, his glory he felt was gone now that he saw something was seriously wrong with Kakashi. He knelt down beside Rin and asked, "How bad is it?"

Rin yanked up the back of Kakashi's shirt, only to gasp in horror. Minato and Obito just stared with shock on their faces. Minato leaned over Kakashi and looked at the huge bruise on his back from the same area Obito kicked him.

Obito stammered, "T-There's no way I did that!"

Minato said calmly, "Obito, you didn't do this, this bruise has had time to form."

Kakashi started to feel Rin's healing, which made Kakashi relax slightly; the pain was finally going away. Kakashi manged to rasp, "Sorry, Obito. I didn't mean for this to interrupt our match."

Obito said with a slight smile, "It's alright, Bakakashi. Just be ready when we settle this."

Rin stopped healing and Minato asked, "How long was it there?"

Rin thought for a moment and answered, "It's about six hours old, maybe eight. What time did you get jumped, Kakashi?"

Kakashi muttered, "At about ten or so."

Rin asked quietly, "How did you make it home like that? Most people wouldn't be able to walk."

 _I didn't, I stumbled to bed and barely made it,_ Kakashi thought to himself. He felt bad for lying to Rin and his team, but he had no other choice. He had to protect his father; he was all Kakashi had left. Minato asked gently, "Kakashi, are you sure you didn't see anything weird about the guys who attacked you."

"There was one guy, he was pretty average, probably a bit bigger than you, sensei," Kakashi said.

Minato's rage flared. "A grown man did this to you? Why the hell did he do this?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Dunno."

Rin pulled down Kakashi's shirt and said, "There. You should be fine, just don't push yourself, okay?"

Kakashi nodded and tried getting up with her help. Kakashi said, "Thank you, Rin."

She gave him a nod and Obito interrupted, " _So_ can we continue the fight now?"

Minato looked at the Uchiha and said, "No! Kakashi won't be fighting for the rest of the day or tomorrow."

Kakashi just stayed silent. Minato made Kakashi sit out of training while Rin and Obito sparred. The young boy sat on the ground under a tree. Leaning against another tree nearby, Minato kept an eye on Obito and Rin. His blue eyes scanned the match carefully until Obito won.

"I'll kick your butt, Obito! I'm gonna beat you, I swear," Rin declared with a serious look on her face.

Obito just smirked and said, "Alright, then. I'll be waiting."

Rin's face heated up with a bit of anger and she growled, "You're so arrogant!"

Obito chuckled and said, "No, I'm just awesome!"

The two started arguing and Minato tried to calm them down, but they ended up laughing at each other in the long run. Minato looked at his watch and said, "Alright, guys, training is over for the day. Head home."

Kakashi stood up and Minato said, "Kakashi, stay. We need to have a little talk."

 _Great,_ Kakashi thought to himself grimly. He wasn't sure what was about to happen, but he assumed he was going to be scolded. The young genin walked over to his sensei as Rin and Obito raced down the path back to the village. Kakashi stood in front of sensei, ready for the scolding or lecture he was about to receive. Minato crossed his arms and sighed.

Kakashi asked innocently, "Yes, sensei?"

Minato asked with a straight, serious look, "Why are you lying?"

Kakashi blinked, not wanting to show that he was hiding something. He asked, "What do you mean?"

Minato said sternly, "You and I both know if you got jumped in an alley, you'd have gone to the hospital and got looked at. I would've heard about it, of course. Judging by the bruises on your neck, whoever was strangling you had you faced towards them. You saw who it was, you had to have. You're hiding something. So, what is it Kakashi?"

Kakashi was speechless. He looked away from his sensei as Minato knelt in front of him. Minato asked, "Is there something you wanna tell me?"

Kakashi shook his head. Minato sighed and said, "Kakashi, I'm not sure why you're hiding what really happened, but just know I'm here if you need anything. I'm not sure who hurt you, but when I do find out, I'll see fit that they never lay a hand on you again."

Kakashi shivered a little. He didn't want his sensei to kill his father or get him into trouble. That was the last thing he wanted; that's why he was lying to him to protect Sakumo. Minato asked, "Does your father know?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, sir. I informed him on what happened."

"So, it wouldn't be a bother if I walked you home then, would it?"

Kakashi blurted, "No, I'm fine. Thank you."

Minato titled his head at the young boy. Kakashi ran off before Minato could say anything else. The man knew something was up, and he didn't want to talk to Sakumo about it, but if he had to, he would. He did follow Kakashi, but he was sure the boy didn't notice him. Kakashi ran all the way to the Hatake compound without a problem. Minato left when he saw Kakashi enter his house. The blond man rushed off to see Kushina and get her opinion on it.

Meanwhile, Kakashi walked into his home and announced he was home, but of course, nobody was home. Kakashi went to his room and shut the door. He quietly went to his bed and tried to relax and read. For a while, there was nothing to do. Kakashi was worried his father would come home drunk again and continue where he left off, and he knew nothing of a mission he had to go on. Kakashi sighed at the unfortunate fact his father would come home at about the same time, drunk as usual.

He wanted to summon Pakku, but he knew if he did, Pakku would probably be reluctant to hang around if he knew what Sakumo would do when he got home and how drunk he'd be. Kakashi curled into a ball and fell asleep.

Later that afternoon, Kakashi was woke up by someone yelling, "Kakashi! C'mere, brat!"

Kakashi was startled when Sakumo came into his room and cracked his knuckles. He had a strange smirk on his face and he said, "I have a game I'd like to play."

Kakashi started shaking. No, not again. The boy rushed to the window, but before he could open it, Sakumo had him by the collar of his shirt. He yelled, "You little brat! I wanna spend some time with me only son! Let's play already!"

 **xXxXxXx**

 **Hey guys! Usually I do separate chapters for author notes, but I'm changing it up a bit. I've done a lot of digging and there's not a whole lot of kid Kakashi fanfictions but there are really good ones. If you guys don't mind, leave your thoughts below on the story so far and if you enjoy it thus far. I love hearing back from you guys!**

 **-xXstarryXnightXx**


	3. Chapter 2

**Secret of the Copy Ninja**

 **-  
Chapter 2: From Bad to Worse**

Minato sat across from Kushina at their dinner table. Kushina had made dinner and wanted to talk about Kakashi. Minato had been worried about him and so was Kushina. For weeks now, Kakashi kept getting injuries back to back and kept lying about where he got them from. He was covered in bruises and he constantly had a limp or strain. He still trained, but that was besides the point. Kushina had noticed it from seeing him walk around the village.

"How's training going?" Kushina asked with a faint smile on her face.

Minato sighed and said, "It's going fine I guess."

Kushina's smiled faded. "What about Kakashi?"

Her husband sighed. "He sprained his wrist. Again. He has bruises and cuts across his fists, like he's been fighting. Rin found blood in his hair, too. When she tried to touch his hair, Kakashi avoided her and insisted he was fine. Honestly, I'm not sure what's going on with him."

"What have you found out about his activities after training and missions?"

Minato took a bite of the fish on his plate. He ate it and said, "He goes straight home. That's it. He doesn't do anything and when he does, nothing happens. I think maybe his father might have something to do with his injuries."

Kushina looked at him with disbelief. "Could it be possible?"

Minato shrugged. "I'm not sure anymore. What I did find out is his father is a regular at a bar near the Hatake compound."

"What are you thinking?"

Minato admitted, "I'm not sure. I've never been in this situation before. His eyes are so... Empty and sad."

Kushina continued to eat her fish. There was nothing to go on other than nothing looked out of the ordinary. Minato hated the look Kakashi had in his eyes and he hated Kakashi was keeping the origin of his injuries a secret. Why would Sakumo hurt Kakashi? He has no reason; he loves his son... Right? Kushina noticed the look in his eyes, too. It made her want to go over to him and give him a hug. She didn't like seeing him like that.

Minato and Kushina locked eyes for a moment. They both had the same thought; they had to do something before Kakashi got seriously hurt or worse. Minato asked calmly, "Kushina, would you like to come see the kids practice tomorrow?"

She nodded and said, "Yeah, that'd be great."

 **xXxXxXx**

Kakashi wasn't sure what hurt more; his still broken ribs from a week ago when his father felt like "playing a game" with his rib cage. Kakashi knew they'd heal, but at this rate, he wasn't so sure anymore. He could try to go to the hospital and say it was an accident, but he knew that wouldn't work out well. He felt alone and trapped. He hated it and he just wanted it to all be over with. He finally wanted to die and he meant it. The more he kept it all bottled up, the more he cut. His arm was covered in cuts and scars that were long gone. The boy was trying not to, but it was now all he had to give him comfort.

As Kakashi walked to practice, he felt the sore spot where his father punched him in his stomach burn worse and worse with each step. The young boy tried to hurry to practice, but when he did, it got worse. Somehow, the boy managed to make it on time. The whole time he walked there, though, he kept thinking about how easy it would be to just make his father mad enough to kill him or how easy it would be to die in general.

Kakashi didn't like thinking like that, but that's all he felt anymore; he wanted to _die_. He kept a normal look on his face when he saw his team waiting for him at the training grounds. He even saw Kushina standing with Minato. When Kakashi walked up, he instantly said, "Sorry I'm late."

Kushina noticed the discomfort in the boy's voice. She asked, "Kakashi, are you okay?"

He nodded. Minato cleared his throat and said, "Alright then. Kakashi, Rin, you're up first."

The white-haired genin nodded and so did Rin. She was ready to fight, but she was hesitant. She knew something was really wrong. Kakashi and Rin began their fight. Everything was fine until Rin hit Kakashi in the ribs. Kakashi yelped in pain and cursed, "Dammit."

Rin squeaked and rushed to his aid. "Oh my God, Kakashi, are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Kakashi was doubled over on the ground with his arms across his ribs. Minato, Kushina, and Obito rushed over.

Kushina looked at Kakashi and asked, "Kakashi, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Minato moved beside Kakashi and tried to help him up, but the boy cried, "Stop! I'm fine!"

Obito paled. He asked, "Kakashi, what happened?"

The white-haired genin said nothing as he tried to get up. When he did, Obito already activated his Sharingan. When he looked at Kakashi's body language, he said, "His ribs are broken."

Minato looked at Rin, who was crying. She cried, "I'm so sorry, Kakashi! I didn't mean to-"

Minato cut her off and said, "Rin, you didn't do this. You weren't using enough force to brake his ribs."

Kakashi looked at Rin and nodded. He said, "You didn't break my ribs, Rin. I promise."

That didn't make it any better. She asked with a sob, "Kakashi, why? Why are you always getting hurt?"

Obito was mad at the fact Rin was crying and it was mostly because she was worried about Kakashi. The little Uchiha interjected, "Yeah, what the hell Kakashi? You owe us some answers!"

The boy stayed silent. Minato looked at Rin and Obito and said, "Guys, head home for the day, okay? Kushina and I will take Kakashi to the hospital."

The two genin only nodded, unable to argue with him. Kushina and Minato tried to pick Kakashi up, but he growled, "No, I'm not going to the hospital!"

Minato waited for the two genin to leave before he turned to Kakashi and said, "We're taking you home with us. You need to answer some questions. Can you get up?"

Kakashi nodded and held the area where his two ribs were broken. Kushina and Minato walked with Kakashi to their apartment, only hoping that maybe they'd get some answers out of him. They knew it was best if Rin and Obito weren't present for the conversation. When they finally made it to the apartment, Minato walked in with Kakashi and Kushina.

He locked the door behind him and Kakashi started shaking. Kushina looked at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Kakashi said nothing and kept his head down. Minato walked to the couch and said, "Sit, Kakashi."

The boy did as he was instructed and Kushina sat beside him. Minato stood in front of them with his arms crossed. Minato asked, "Kakashi, how long have your ribs been broken?"

Kakashi sighed. "About a week."

Kushina asked aggressively, "Why didn't you go to the hospital?"

The boy shrugged. "I'll be fine."

Minato growled, "That's enough with your 'I'm fine' bullshit, Kakashi! You're not fine; you're always covered in bruises and injuries and you never explain why other than it was an accident of some form."

Kakashi felt like someone had him cornered, and he was cornered by both Kushina and Minato. Kakashi asked lowly, "What do you want me to say?"

Minato knelt in front of him and said, "Tell me the truth, Kakashi."

"I fell out of a tree," Kakashi said with a flat tone.

Minato rubbed the back of his neck and stared at him. He knew they boy wasn't just getting hurt by accident. Kushina had a knowing look on her face when she noticed how Minato was acting. Kushina asked softly, "Kakashi, why don't you wanna go to the hospital?"

The boy said stubbornly, "I'm fine, Kushina."

She sighed and said, "Kakashi, you're not fine. You're injured. You need to see a doctor, okay?"

Kakashi just shook his head. His shaking seemed to almost stop, but he did shutter every now and then when he would talk or listen to the couple question him.

Minato growled, "Alright, I'll get Tsunade to come here, but if you get hurt again, you're going to the hospital. Deal?"

The boy nodded, accepting his teacher and his wife were not going to back down easily. Minato left and brought Tsunade back within ten minutes. Tsunade rushed in and looked at the pale boy. Kushina stood up and said, "Thank you for coming, Tsunade."

The blond woman smiled and said, "Of course. Now, let me see what I can do."

Kakashi tensed up as Minato and Tsunade walked over. Tsunade knelt down in front of Kakashi and asked, "Can I see your ribs?"

The boy nodded, slightly shaking. He lifted his shirt up to show Tsunade where his ribs were broken. She gasped and said with shock, "Jeez, how long have they been broken? Your skin is turning purple!"

Kakashi admitted in a whisper, "A week."

Tsunade's anger flared up. She hissed, "Kakashi, what the hell? Why didn't you just come to the hospital? How did this happen?"

Kakashi's face heated up again. "I fell out of a tree."

The blond woman's face lit up with rage. She growled lowly, "Kakashi, I've seen injuries like this only with people who are thrown into trees or hit _with_ a tree. If you did fall, more than two of your ribs would be broken!"

He flinched. Tsunade noticed and looked at Minato and Kushina. She asked softly, "Has anything like this happened before?"

Minato nodded. "He's been getting bruises a lot and claims its from a training accident or someone jumped him in an alley and he didn't see their face."

Tsunade gave a nod and turned to Kakashi. Her face was now calm. She asked quietly, "Kakashi, who hurt you? And don't say nobody did, because clearly, they've been hurting you for some time."

Kushina and Minato watched anxiously as they waited for an answer. Kakashi whispered, "Nobody, Lady Tsunade."

She sighed. "You understand that you protecting someone is hurting you more than you probably want to admit."

The white-haired boy just stared at her, holding his breath. She looked almost sad. She sighed and said, "Kakashi, just come to the hospital next time, okay? Tell them you need to see me."

He nodded and she asked, "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No."

Tsunade nodded and stood up. She said in a cut-throat voice, "This better not be a problem again. Come see me next time; am I clear?"

He nodded and she smiled. Tsunade walked out of the apartment with Minato and Kushina. They walked down the steps to the street and Tsunade turned to the couple. She hissed, "You better let me know if he tells you who did this. He's a child, and clearly, this was done by someone _way_ stronger than him; an adult or teen at least."

Minato asked lowly, "Is there anything we can do to get him to talk?"

Tsunade shook her head and said, "Unless he wants help, he'll bottle it all up. However, when he finally explodes, make sure he isn't reckless."

Kushina asked lowly, "Do you think maybe his father could be doing this?"

Tsunade thought for a moment and said, "For what Minato has explained about Kakashi's activities after training, it would make sense. If that is the case, you should be careful."

The couple nodded and Tsunade began walking down the street back to the hospital. Kushina and Minato looked at each other. Minato sighed and hugged Kushina. She hugged him back and let out a sigh. This was getting more complicated than they originally thought. Minato couldn't imagine hurting Kushina or their child if they ever did have one. They also both knew if anything ever happened to their child, they'd go on a rampage looking for the son of a bitch who hurt their child. They walked back inside the apartment to find Kakashi was gone and the window was open.

 **xXxXxXx**

Kakashi walked down the street back home. He felt better after Tsunade healed his ribs. He still felt the trembling that she caused when she left with Minato and Kushina. He had to get out before he lost his cool and broke down. The young boy ran home, knowing his father was gone from the house. Kakashi went into his room as soon as he made it home. He locked the door and sat on his bed. He wanted to make the pain stop, but he did understand he deserved it, according to his father.

The boy pulled up his sleeve and started lightly scratching at the surface of his skin. A little blood was coming through, but not a lot. Kakashi stopped for a moment and let the pain sink in. It felt good to have some control over what happened to his body for once. He rolled his sleeves down after a few minutes, making sure the scratches didn't bleed enough to notice. Kakashi sighed with relief as he felt the pain making him feel a little better. He curled into a ball and began to wonder if his father was to go on any missions in the near future.

Kakashi then heard footsteps as a door slammed. He started shaking already. He was home early, meaning, he was not in a good mood. The young boy thought about running, but that always made things worse.

 _What am I going to do? He's going to end up making me unable to train and we have to meet in a few days. Hopefully, he'll not do too much damage,_ Kakashi thought to himself, dreading what was about to happen.

Sakumo then kicked open Kakashi's door with a single try. He laughed darkly and said, "Kakashi, good to see you're home early."

"Hello, father."

Sakumo frowned and said, "Don't call me father, you worthless mutt!"

Kakashi flinched as the white-haired man walked over to him, picked him up by his throat, and started chocking him. Sakumo then threw him across the room into a wall. Kakashi flopped onto the floor only to have Sakumo grab him by the foot. He twisted the boys ankle and Kakashi gasped in pain, trying not to scream.

"What's the matter, got nothing to say, Kakashi? Are you that weak to not have the nerve to fight back? Well?" Sakumo yelled.

Kakashi's eyes filled with tears as he was then thrown into the wall again. This time, Sakumo started kicking him in the ribs and then his head. Kakashi didn't have time to cry out before his father stopped and grabbed him by the hair. He lifted Kakashi to his face and looked him in the eyes.

Sakumo said darkly, "I'll be back in a few days. I have a mission to go do. When I get back, we'll finish this."

He then throw Kakashi across the floor of his bedroom, leaving him there in agony. Kakashi silently cried as his father left the room. He stayed there, unable to get up. He tried, but his arms didn't seem to want to let him. They burned like they were on fire, like the rest of his body. Kakashi stayed there for a while, seeming to lose track of time. He laid there, wondering what he ever did to deserve this. He didn't understand why his father started hurting him more than he used to the past few months. He didn't understand anything anymore but one thing; he simply wanted to die.

 **xXxXxXx**

 **Quick note, I swear! I'd like to recognize the first person to review the story, guest user Kitsumi! Thank you for your review and I'm glad you enjoy the story, it made my day. Also, I wrote Obito like this because it seemed to fit his character, but then again, there's not a whole lot of young Obito in the show to go off of.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading guys! Please review, it feeds the fuel to the fire that forges the story!**

 **-xXstarryXnightXx**


	4. Chapter 3

**Secret of the Copy Ninja**

 **-  
Chapter 3: The Interruption**

It was a few days after Kakashi's ribs were healed that his team had a D-rank mission. It went fine, and Minato noticed Kakashi was doing a little. He didn't have any bruises were gone and he wasn't injured as far as Minato could tell. He was happy Kakashi was better, and so were Rin and Obito, even though Obito showed it in a weird way by trying to fight Kakashi in a match. Kakashi agreed, and Kakashi won.

Obito swore up and down he cheated, but Kakashi shrugged it off and ignored him. Minato smiled at the fact everything seemed normal. He also knew that Kakashi's father had been out on a mission since Kakashi started doing better and stopped getting injured. Minato was very sure Sakumo was behind the injuries Kakashi had gotten in the recent time period he noticed the marks and injuries. Minato told Kakashi to stay after Rin and Obito left that afternoon. Kakashi acted normal and asked, "Yes, sensei?"

Minato asked with a smile, "How've you been?"

Kakashi shrugged and said, "Fine, I guess. Why?"

"Well, you don't seem injured or hurt," Minato admitted.

Kakashi nodded and said, "I've been getting better and working harder with my training."

Minato nodded, pretending to believe the lie. He kept his smile, though, and said, "Alright, well, if anything happens, let me know or go see Tsunade, okay?"

Kakashi nodded and then left to go home. Minato waited for a few minutes before he began following Kakashi. Minato knew his father was to arrive back at the village before sunset. He was worried about Kakashi, hoping he was wrong about Sakumo hurting him. Minato followed the boy home for a while, staying at a distance. Nothing happened out of the ordinary as Kakashi walked home.

 _I really hope I'm wrong about Sakumo. Maybe it's just a coincidence,_ Minato thought to himself, trying to have hope. When Kakashi arrived at his house, Minato waited for a few hours before he saw Sakumo stumble into the compound. He was clearly drunk. It had to be about nine in the evening. Minato knew Kakashi's room was nearby, and he waited on the roof, listening for anything.

 **xXxXxXx**

Kakashi enjoyed the few days of peace he got from his father. His body hated him still even after having his ribs healed, but that was to be expected. The last few days, Kakashi had read about three books, actually went to practice, and somehow managed to stay somewhat in control of his emotions. He did his habitual self inflicted injuries and hid them well. He started putting them on his thighs to hide them better, but the pain felt better coming from his wrist.

Kakashi wasn't sure why he felt the need to do it, but he did learn his lesson about covering both his face and neck up so people wouldn't see any bruises. The young boy kept loathing the day his father returned home more and more by the day. Kakashi kept having nightmares, but then again, he always had nightmares unless he was beyond exhausted. The panic attacks were not helping either, but he only had one for about half an hour this time.

Kakashi heard the front door open and he started shaking right away. He knew his father was home, and he feared for the worst. He put down his book he was reading when he heard his father coming towards his room. Kakashi gulped and saw his father rush into his room. Sakumo growled, "Kakashi. C'mere my boy."

Kakashi did as instructed and waited. Sakumo looked at him with a hateful glare and said, "You piece of shit, child. Lucky me, you're just a punching bag for me when I get a little too stressed about work. He he he."

Kakashi said nothing. Sakumo growled, "Aren't you gonna say anything, you weak, useless piece of shit?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, sir."

Sakumo pulled out a Kunai, causing Kakashi's eyes to widen. He backed away, knowing what was about to happen. He was already shaking. At that moment, Kakashi was backed against the wall under the window in his room. When Sakumo threw his weapon at him, it grazed the young boys face, leaving a tiny scratch where his mask covered part of his face. Part of Kakashi wanted to run and hide, while the other part wanted to let his father kill him.

The genin was tired of being worthless. He wanted to be of use, or die instead of wasting space. Sakumo walked over to Kakashi and started kicking him in the stomach.

Kakashi finally snapped. "S-Stop it!"

Sakumo stopped and looked at the boy who was curled up on the floor. He yelled, "I don't listen to you, you brat! I'm gonna make you wish you were dead!"

He kept kicking and when he knelt down with a kunai, Kakashi cried, "Please, stop!"

Sakumo put the kunai to his son's throat and said, "Don't worry, this will only hurt a little bit."

Before he could slit the boy's throat, a flash of yellow went across the room from the doorway to the hall. Minato growled at Sakumo, "Sorry to interrupt, but I believe I'll be taking Kakashi now."

Sakumo growled, "Minato Namikaze, of course you'd show up here at the wrong time."

The sensei punched Sakumo so hard he flew across the room away from Kakashi. The white-haired boy tried to get up, but instead, he grabbed Minato's ankle and begged, "Sensei... No... Please..."

Minato couldn't stand the broken look on Kakashi's face. He sighed and said, "Alright, alright."

He knelt down beside Kakashi and said gently, "Climb on."

Kakashi climbed onto his sensei's back, not even willing to argue with him. Minato held on to the small, light-weight boy and said, "Hold on tight. We'll take you to Tsunade, okay?"

Kakashi said softly, "No... Please... I didn't break any bones. No hospital. Please."

The blond sensei sighed and left with his student on his back, leaving Sakumo drunk and knocked out on the floor. Minato walked out of the compound and asked lowly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Kakashi put his head down on his sensei's shoulder and said, "I didn't want to get anyone in trouble."

Minato sighed. "I know, I know, but still, you shouldn't have to be forced to live like this. You deserve better."

"No I don't."

Minato stopped in his tracks and asked darkly, "What?"

Kakashi flinched. "I deserve it. All of it."

The blond sensei started walking again and said, "Save your strength; we'll talk when we get to my apartment, okay? Kushina is waiting."

Kakashi nodded and closed his eyes for the entire way there. Minato felt terrible for not doing something sooner, but he had no proof Sakumo was abusing Kakashi. Now, he did. Minato kept thinking about the light-weight genin he was carrying. He was so light, it made Minato wonder if he was eating at all. As much as he wanted to take Kakashi to the hospital, he knew the boy would keep refusing and run off, and that was not a good idea.

Minato asked quietly, "What are you so afraid of at the hospital, Kakashi?"

The boy said nothing. The blond sensei sighed and carried Kakashi to his apartment. When Minato opened the front door, Kushina sat at the dinner table, waiting. When she saw him, she stood up and rushed over. She asked quickly, "What happened?"

Minato let her take Kakashi off his back and she carried him to the living room to their couch. Minato said, "I came in a little late."

Kakashi shook his head and said lowly, "No true. You got there right on time."

Kushina sat beside Kakashi and asked softly, "What happened, Kakashi?"

Kakashi didn't want to get his father into trouble, but they already knew what was going on, so he figured it would do no harm. He sighed. "He came back from his mission and he... Said some things and started kicking me. He threw a kunai at me, but its nothing but a scratch."

"What did he say?"

The boy looked down and mumbled, "I'm nothing but a waste of space and I'm just a punching bag. I'm useless."

Kushina's hair started standing up into nine solid strands. She growled, "I see."

Minato noticed his wife's hair and said, "Kushina, calm down. What's important is Kakashi's okay."

She nodded and looked at Kakashi with a sad look on her face, her hair was flat once again. She asked, "Are you willing to go to the hospital?"

The boy protested, "No! No way am I going!"

Minato asked stubbornly, "What's the big deal? You've been to the hospital several times. What's so different about this time?"

Kakashi said quietly, "I was unconscious or dying then. I'm fine."

Minato rubbed his temples; he was starting to get irritated at the stubborn boy. When Kushina looked at Kakashi, she said, "We have a spare bedroom, and it's not optional for you to go home or run off somewhere. You need to rest, so stay here for as long as you need."

Kakashi stood up slowly and said, "I need to go home."

Minato put his hand on his shoulder and begged, "Kakashi, just stay, please. One night at least, okay? Otherwise, I'll call Tsunade and have her examine you."

Kakashi flinched and sighed. "Fine."

Minato and Kushina smiled weakly. Kushina hugged the white-haired boy gently and said, "Thank you, 'Kashi."

The boy muttered, "My name is Kakashi."

"What did you say?"

"N-Nothing, ma'am."

Kushina smiled and ruffled the boys hair. Kakashi had had enough beatings for one day and he didn't want to make Kushina mad; she scared Kakashi to a degree. Kakashi asked, "Is it okay if Pakkun sleeps here, too? He'll want to know what's going on."

Kushina nodded and said, "Of course! I love Pakkun; he's so cute!"

Minato chuckled. "Of course, Kakashi. I don't mind Pakkun either."

Kakashi nodded. He asked, "Where's the spare room?"

Kushina pointed at the small hall and said, "Go straight down and look on the right side."

The white-haired boy nodded and left to summon Pakkun. When he shut the door behind him, he locked it. The room around his was white with an empty wooden dresser, a bed, and even a nightstand with a lamp. He summoned Pakkun after he looked around for listening devices, just in case.

Pakkun looked very bored when he said, "Hey, kid. What's up?"

"Hey, Pakkun. It's been a while, huh?"

Pakkun sniffed the air. He asked, "Why do you smell so strange? You smell like your sensei."

Kakashi answered, "He carried me here. This is his apartment."

Pakkun tilted his head. "Carried you? What happened, did you get hurt?"

Kakashi sat down on the bed in the room. He sighed and said, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Pakkun jumped on the bed and sat beside Kakashi. He asked, "Why do I smell blood?"

Kakashi hissed, "Shh! Don't say that!"

The summon frowned. "What happened?"

Kakashi explained what happened between him and his father. Pakkun listened, knowing that the situation had never been this bad before the recent months, but Kakashi never told him how bad it was. Pakkun had never noticed the self inflicted injuries on Kakashi because they were never fresh, but the ones he had on his wrist and thighs were. Pakkun listened with a concerned face.

"So, did Minato find out about your... Injuries?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, I've kept it secret this long. I should be fine."

"Kid, look, I know you don't see anything wrong with it, but it's not healthy, alright? All I'm saying."

The boy sighed. "Nothing about me is normal, Pakkun. It just makes me feel better is all."

Pakkun sat on the boys lap and asked, "Have the attacks come back?"

Kakashi nodded. "They're getting more and more intense and frequent. I can't sleep without having nightmares."

The summon looked up at the small boy. He asked, "Why haven't you told Minato yet?"

"It's not important. What is important is me getting back home tomorrow," Kakashi said, avoiding the dog's question.

Pakkun sighed and said, "Alright, just know the longer you wait to say anything, the harder it'll be to admit. Alright?"

Kakashi nodded. Pakkun curled up on the bed and asked, "Do you need me to stay with you tonight?"

Again, the boy nodded, but this time, he gave a short one, almost like he was afraid to admit how bad the nightmares were. Pakkun was surprised at the boys response. "Is it that bad?"

"Yeah," Kakashi added quietly.

Pakkun nodded and said, "Alright, call me right before you go to sleep, okay?"

Kakashi nodded and the dog turned to thin air. Kakashi laid back on the bed he sat on. He was exhausted and unsure of what to do.

 _What the hell am I doing here?_ Kakashi asked himself.

 **xXxXxXx**

 **Hello again! So, I may have tied this story into another story I'm working on called 'A Shattered Demon Child' which is way after all this takes place, but this story line is tied to that story line that I started before this one. Does that make any sense? Probably not, anyway, I was thinking about doing another Kakashi story, but separate from this one and it'll probably be maybe one or two parts? Not sure yet, but I am sure that I want reviews please! I wanna know what you guys think, even if you are a guest just visiting!**

 **-xXstarryXnightXx**


	5. Chapter 4

**Secret of the Copy Ninja**

 **-  
Chapter 4: Drowning**

Kakashi woke up pouring sweat in the middle of the night. He looked around in horror and found the lamp by the bed. He turned the light on and remembered where he was. Minato and Kushina made him stay the night. He took a few moments to try and calm his breathing and rapid heart rate as he let out a sigh.

 _That's right. Sensei made me stay the night. No point in going home considering how dark it is. Besides, father will not be happy when he wakes up,_ Kakashi thought silently to himself.

"Kakashi? What's wrong?" Pakkun asked in a sleepy voice, clearly woken up by Kakashi.

The white-haired boy sighed. "Sorry, Pakkun. I just forgot what was going on for a second."

Pakkun moved closer to the boy and said abruptly, "I know you didn't tell me everything."

"W-What?"

Pakkun said in a serious tone, "The nightmares. They're clearly from something worse than what you've told me."

"I told you the truth, okay? He smacked me and sensei came in to help me. That's all that it's ever been," Kakashi lied, trying to hide it.

"I smell a lie."

The boy sighed and said, "Pakkun, it's not that big of a deal."

The dog looked at him like he was crazy. He said stubbornly, "Clearly it's something that gives you nightmares, so it's probably a lot worse than you're telling me. Also, I smell blood."

Kakashi looked confused before he looked at his arms. He'd clawed his arms bloody in his sleep. He cursed and went looking for his extra bag he kept bandages in. He managed to wrap them decently before Pakkun said, "Kakashi, maybe you should tell Minato. He'll probably help you out."

Kakashi shot him a dark look as he was put his gloves on that were beside the lamp. "I'm fine."

Pakkun shrugged and went to lay beside the boy. He asked, "What did Sakumo do to you?"

Kakashi was starting to feel like the world was spinning around him. He didn't like being questioned about the abuse or his cuts and scars. Kakashi started breathing hard and then it only got harder and harder to breathe. Pakkun cursed and said, "Dammit Kakashi, calm down!"

The boy tried to think of something else besides possibly ruining everything he was trying to protect. It wasn't working at all. Pakkun tried patting the boy on the back to try and calm him, but nothing worked. Kakashi's mind was flooded with thoughts, fears and pain.

 _What if he's mad at me? What will he do? What could be worse than this? Why can't I just get my fucking head together? Why can't I just calm the fuck down? Why does it have to be this way? Why can't I make him proud of me? Why the hell can't I do anything right? I've finally gone crazy, I can't let anyone know. Can't let anyone know. Can't let anyone know,_ Kakashi thought to himself rapidly.

Pakkun sighed and curled up next to the boy and allowed Kakashi to pet him this one time. After a while of sitting there, Kakashi finally passed out, sound asleep. Pakkun took it as a opportunity to see what damage had been done to Kakashi. When Pakkun lifted up the boys shirt, he saw a huge black bruise across his abdomen. The boy let out a soft whimper when he saw it. He didn't know about this, and he had no idea his master could do such a thing to his own son.

Pakkun stayed close to the warm child and slept next to his chest. Kakashi still had his hand on Pakkun's back before he drifted to sleep next to the child.

 **xXxXxXx**

When Minato woke up with Kushina the next morning, he went to make sure Kakashi was still at the house. He opened the bedroom door quietly and peaked in to see Kakashi was sound asleep with Pakkun beside him. The summon opened his eyes to see Minato standing there. Pakkun got off the bed and walked to the door and looked up at him.

"Good morning, Pakkun," Minato said with a tired smile.

Pakkun replied, "Morning, Minato."

"Did he sleep alright?"

Pakkun turned to thin air before he could answer. Minato was left confused, but he assumed Pakkun left for a reason when he asked. Minato walked into the spare room and walked over to Kakashi, who was still asleep. Minato shook the boy's arm and said gently, "Kakashi, wake up."

Kakashi opened his eyes and sat up. He stretched and yawned, "Good morning, sensei.

Minato smiled warmly and asked, "Did you sleep okay?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes."

The blond chose to ignore the fact he knew he was lying and nodded. When Kakashi got out of bed, Minato walked out of the room and Kakashi followed him and managed to find a bathroom in the hall. He went into the bathroom and washed his hands, hoping to get the blood off his hands that was somehow still on his hands from last night. He must've forgot to take care of it, but it wasn't an issue considering Minato didn't say anything or seem to notice.

Partly, Kakashi's heart sank when he thought that, but then he shook it off and went to the kitchen, smelling the breakfast Kushina was cooking. Kakashi walked into the kitchen and said, "Good morning."

Kushina looked over to him from the stove and smiled. "Good morning, Kashi!"

Kakashi sat down at the table by his sensei, who was reading the newspaper as usual. The white-haired boy sat in his chair quietly, trying to seem like nothing was wrong. He waited in silence for Minato or Kushina to start talking, but nothing happened. He sat there quietly, enjoying the fact he wasn't being asked a million questions for the second day in a row. They didn't speak until Minato and Kakashi had to go to the training field. Kushina smiled and said goodbye to them as they left.

After they left, Kakashi and Minato went to the training field. They quietly walked along the streets, a few people glaring and then looked away quickly when they saw Minato with Kakashi. Kakashi tried to ignore the glares and stares as he walked down the street, trying to pay no mind to it. Sadly, that didn't work as well as he had hoped. Still, he remained silent as he and his sensei walked by the glaring civilians and other ninjas.

Kakashi tried to hide his eyes from them as they kept walking along the path towards the training grounds. He knew the looks would only get worse and he wasn't sure how to make them stop. With each step, a new pair of eyes starred just as another person looked away. It made Kakashi felt as if he were suffocating under their gazes. Somehow, he managed to stay collected with possibly only sheer will to not have his sensei watch him drown in his anxiety and self-conscious thoughts.

Minato, on the other hand, was walking along as if nothing were going on at all. Partly, Kakashi expected his sensei to just not notice the gazes, but it also made him wonder if his sensei felt the same way everyone else did about Kakashi. He was deemed nothing more than a strange boy who nobody really wanted, let alone needed.

As the two arrived at the field, Rin and Obito were already there waiting on them. Kakashi was surprised Obito was on time let alone early. This was almost impossible. Minato smiled and said, "Good morning."

Rin looked at Kakashi and Minato and asked, "Did you two run into each other on the way here?"

Minato nodded and said, "Just seemed to happen I guess."

Kakashi nodded, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Obito grunted and asked, "Why are you two later than me?"

Minato laughed sheepishly and said, "Well, I guess today is just an off day I suppose. Good job for being on time for once, Obito."

Rin chuckled and Obito protested, "I'm not always late!"

Minato laughed and told the kids that they would be practicing once again for the day and that they would have a mission very soon. Obito and Rin sparred while Kakashi waited to fight whoever was the victor of the match. Obito won by the skin of his teeth, and fought Kakashi. Kakashi wasn't in the best state of mind considering the fact he was dreading going home to his father's rage after the other night. The more Kakashi thought about it, the worse he got during the fight.

Eventually, Obito threw a shuriken at Kakashi, and it cut across his shoulder. Kakashi's shook came when he managed to recover and beat Obito, despite the injury. Rin took a look and determined it was a light wound, but nonetheless, she wanted to treat it. Kakashi stubbornly brushed it off and ignored it. Minato studied the boy's behavior quietly, noticing Kakashi was hiding something. Minato wanted to question him, but it would have to wait until they all had a chance to separate and speak one-on-one to each other. For now, Minato would ignore the fact his student was bluntly lying to him about more than the abuse from his father and the villagers it seemed.

After they took a break for lunch, Rin and Obito made small talk about the next mission and how they were going to complete the mission without a scratch. Minato would nod and tell the kids to remember not everything always goes as planned in a war zone. Kakashi, in part, hated the fact that they were still at war. It only seemed to make things more tense and more horrible at home for him. Maybe if the war were over, Sakumo would be a lot nicer about everything. Maybe.

"Bakashi, hey, what's your deal? You're spacing out," Obito would point out with an annoyed look, seeming to have been talking to him before he actually caught his attention.

Kakashi blinked. "Did you say something?"

Obito would then grunt and mutter, "Never mind."

The yellow-haired sensei would look from Kakashi to Obito with a slight grin on his face. At least they hadn't really changed a whole lot. Not really anyways.

A while after training, Kakashi ran home, hoping his father was too drunk to even notice him. Kakashi walked into the house to find it empty, meaning his father was out on another mission. Kakashi went to his room to find it was a wreck. He sighed and began to clean up. As he cleaned up, he noticed nothing of serious value was broken or damaged, so he began to relax a bit as he continued to clean up. Before long, he cut himself on a broken bottle. The boy cursed under his breath as he pulled out the glass from his hand. He finished cleaning up before long and decided to sit down for a few minutes and relax.

Kakashi ended up laying on the floor that once had been covered in glass. Kakashi thought back to a time when things weren't this bad, but the past few years, things got a lot worse and it was just tearing Kakashi and his father apart, physically and mentally. The more he thought about it, the more Kakashi felt like he was to blame for everything. Partly, Kakashi just wanted to hide from it all just for a little while. Kakashi before long was quietly losing what little bit of control he had over himself and started to silently breakdown in his own thoughts.

Part of him wished his father would come kick the crap out of him just to get the noise to stop for one fucking minute, but he knew that just wasn't going to happen. He sat there for a while, quietly trying to process everything in a calm manner, only to fail and sit there drowning in his own anxiety.

He sat there for maybe an hour, feeling hopelessly lost and full of doubt before he went to his room and shut the door. He shut the door and the tears fell down his eyes. He'd held them for what seemed like forever, and somehow, he just broke every bit of it. Every bit of control, every bit of what he was holding onto, felt like it was being taken from him and there was nothing to do anymore, until Kakashi had a thought he had tried to avoid hearing in his thoughts, and he couldn't hold it back anymore.

 _I'm just so tired of everything... I want it all to stop...Maybe if I'm not here anymore, none of this will go on anymore... Maybe I should just die._

 **XxXxXx**

 **Hello. Yes, I am aware the chapter is kinda shorter than the rest, but honestly, the chapter is done. I'm sorry for not writing like I said I would, but like, my dad died in September, and ever since, I've kinda been in a dark place ever since. Sorry for the lame excuses, but I kinda go silent for a while. I hope you guys are still reading, and yes, when you favorite and comment, I do get notified and I am SO happy you guys are reading and enjoying the story! I'm trying to write more, but like, you know, hitting a wall.**

 **Anyway, comment what you think and I'll get to work on the next chapter ASAP. Thanks for bearing with me here!**

 **-xXstarryXnightXx**


	6. Chapter 5

**Secret of the Copy Ninja**

 **-  
Chapter 5: Shattered**

His eyes focused to the dim lighting around him and he noticed a very tall man with a bottle in his hand. Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized what was going on. He felt the throbbing from his head begin to take over and felt his stomach ache in agony.

Kakashi wished it would just stop, but he knew it was going to lead to a big bruise that would last at least a few weeks. He noticed the pain coursing through his back as well. He concluded he and his father fought, and once again, Kakashi lost dearly. The young boy knew if he tried to move, he'd surely regret it. Sakumo seemed too drunk to notice the boy was awake due to the fact he was not moving from the spot he'd been in for some time. Kakashi was, as he had known from his injuries, doomed. He noticed Sakumo start to stagger towards his room and Kakashi felt a little bit of hope rise in his stomach. He moved to sit up, only to have Sakumo turn to him.

 _Oh no,_ was all Kakashi could think before the bottle hit him square in the face.

He cried out just as he felt his father begin to kick his ribs. Kakashi lay there in the floor, waiting for the abuse to stop as tears escaped his eyes. He was limp on the floor as Sakumo turned away from him and began to walk to his room once again. Kakashi didn't dare move this time, and it wasn't really like he could anyways. The small child lay there in the dark that night, crying silently in agony as he couldn't move or get up.

 _I don't understand what I ever did... Why can't things go back to the way they used to be? Why can't Father just be happy like before? Is it really my fault nothing goes right? Why can't I just make it all stop? I can train all I want, but it always seems like I'll fall short one way or another,_ Kakashi thought morbidly to himself.

The white-haired boy couldn't help but lay in the blood and the glass. He tried to move his arm, but it did nothing by creep across the floor as he seemed unable to lift it. His consciousness seemed to leave him as his hands moved on their own enough to summon Pakkun.

The summon appeared in a puff of smoke and looked at Kakashi. His eyes were wide as he saw what was Kakashi's broken body.

"Hey, kid? What happened?" Pakkun demanded.

Kakashi just stared into space as the dog started to panic. He tried to lick his face in the small area where there was no blood, but the boy didn't blink or twitch. His eyes were open, but they were lifeless as they starred into the darkness around him. Pakkun really did start to freak out inside. He even lightly touch his paw to his face and got the same results. Pakkun began to run out of the house, knowing to get the boy's sensei before he was too late.

The small dog ran as he smelt the air for Minato. He eventually found the scent of the blond shinobi and ran down a street to the apartment he had once been to. He got to the door and started yelling and scratching at the door. The lights were on, so he knew someone heard him. After a few minutes, a familiar blond shinobi opened the door and looked down to see Pakkun.

His eyes filled with worry. "Pakkun? What are you doing here this late?"

Pakkun rambled, "The kid, he's in bad shape, I wasn't sure what else to do but come here. I think Sakumo may have really hurt Kakashi. He won't wake up!"

Minato's blue eyes were filled with rage and serious concern for the young boy. Kushina walked up behind him from the kitchen and asked, "Is everything okay out here? Pakkun? What're you doing here?"

Minato growled, "Take me to him now."

Pakkun nodded and began to head down the stairs. Minato turned to Kushina and said, "Get Tsunade right now. Tell her to get here as soon as possible."

The red-haired woman nodded and rushed to work in the apartment as Minato left. Soon after he left, Kushina ran to Tsunade's apartment nearby. Minato hoped he wasn't too late, but he felt as if this weren't going to go well. As the dog ran ahead, Minato felt the rage just grow along with the horror that ran through his body not knowing what was going on or what happened.

A few minutes later, Pakkun lead Minato to the Hatake Compound and let him into Kakashi's house. Minato raced into the house, not caring if Sakumo was home or not and froze when he entered the living room. In the middle of the room was an array of shattered glass surrounding a small pool of blood and a tiny body with white hair.

"K-Kakashi!"

The boy's eyes were closed and he was limp in the floor. Minato knelt down in the blood and glass and felt the boy's pulse. He was alive, but he was surely not going to be able to wake up anytime soon. Minato cursed and noticed the neck of a brown bottle next to the boy's face, giving away a bottle was thrown at his head. There were a few shards in his forehead, otherwise, he was just bleeding immensely. The blond picked up the small boy who then began to shake.

"Hey, it's just me, Kashi. I'm not going to hurt you," Minato whispered quietly to the boy.

While he was unconscious, he seemed to be aware something was going on.

Pakkun commented, "He wasn't conscious when he summoned me. His body was moving on its own."

Minato nodded and held the boy close to him as he began to exit the house, rushing out the door without a second thought. He ran with Pakkun down the streets, many thoughts of murder rushing into Minato's already pissed off mind.

"Did this just happen?"

Pakkun answered, "I assume so, there wasn't that much blood when I left."

"You understand he's never returning to that house, correct?"

"Perhaps given the circumstances, that might be a good idea," the summon agreed.

Minato kept running until he ran to the apartment and opened the front door. When he walked inside, he saw the young Tsunade and Kushina waiting anxiously. When they saw the young boy in Minato's arms, they both were horrified.

"Oh my God, Kakashi! What the hell happened?" Kushina cried as she ran over.

She looked at the head wound and noticed the glass. Her expression changed slightly as she looked at Minato, who looked ready to kill. Kushina pushed the thoughts aside as Minato walked over to Tsunade.

She looked at the boy and said, "It's amazing he didn't break any bones, to be honest. There's so much bruising, though. I'll see what I can do for him. Come with me."

Minato rushed with her to the spare room and put Kakashi on the bed. Tsunade cracked her knuckles and started healing the small boy.

"There's not much I can do but stop the bleeding," she said as she pulled glass out of the boy's forehead.

Kushina turned to Minato and said, "Sakumo did this."

Minato nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I don't think Kakashi would just hit himself in the face with a glass bottle."

His wife nodded sheepishly. Tsunade growled, "I will see this man's death myself. He'll pay for doing this to his own child. He's so young."

The summon and the two other shinobi in the room just nodded. They stayed silent as Tsunade pulled the glass out of Kakashi's face and healed him. He would have serious bruises, but Tsunade said they'd go away in a week or so. She also advised them to not allow Kakashi to return to the Hatake Compound. She sat there after she had healed him for just a few moments. She looked down at him with a sad look on her face. There was no way she'd let Sakumo walk away from this unharmed. She'd see to it he was punished for it all.

Minato and Kushina stayed in the room after Tsunade left. They stayed in the dimly lit room and waited for Kakashi to wake up. After a few hours, they both went to bed and left Pakkun to guard Kakashi. The summon slept curled up at the foot of the bed, knowing Kakashi wouldn't wake up until many, many hours later.

 **xXxXxXx**

Kakashi felt exhausted when his eyes opened to the light outside. He blinked at the harsh light and realized he was in a strange room, one he didn't really recognize. He panicked as he knew after he sat up where he was. He then saw Pakkun at the end of the bed, finally waking up to the boy's movement.

Pakkun looked at the boy and said, "Morning."

Kakashi asked weakly, "How did I get here?"

Pakkun sighed. "You summoned me last night after you were attacked. I assume it was your father who smashed a bottle into your face and beat the hell outta you."

Kakashi looked away from him and the summon crawled over to him and sat down.

"You know, you shouldn't have to deal with it. It's not fair. You're just a kid, ya know? Even my old man didn't do half this to me as a pup," Pakkun commented.

Kakashi's small hands balled into fists and he said bitterly, "I'm fine, okay?"

Pakkun snapped, "Enough with that, Kakashi! You're clearly not okay. You got the life almost beaten outta ya and you think that's fine? What kinda shit is that?"

The boy looked down and Pakkun hopped off the bed and said, "Your sensei was really worried about you, ya know? He and Kushina stayed in here hours after you got here. They'll be glad to know you're awake."

The summon disappeared as Minato entered the room. He opened the door and looked at Kakashi. The blond shinobi had a smile on his face that showed relief. "Kakashi, it's good to see you're awake."

The boy curled his knees to his bruised chest as he winced. Minato walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at Kakashi with worry, his smile already gone.

"Sensei, why am I here?"

Minato looked at the boy. "If I had to guess, your father beat you and smashed a bottle into your head. You summoned Pakkun while you were unconscious last night. Honestly, I wasn't sure if you were even breathing when I saw you."

The boy nodded and Minato patted his head. The sensei noticed how exhausted and pained the boy looked in the face. He knew this wasn't easy for Kakashi, not one bit.

Kakashi asked softly, "Can I go home? I feel fine."

Minato shook his head. "No. You can't. I won't allow it. I can't allow you to go home if this is what happens. I barely let you go back the first time at all. I would've thought he'd learn his lesson the first time."

Kakashi felt like he was going to be sick. He didn't want his sensei to know, he didn't want _anyone_ to know at all. The boy started shaking before his sensei gave him a hug.

"You don't deserve to be treated like this, Kashi. Please, just stay. We won't hurt you," Minato offered to the boy with a tone that made Kakashi almost cry.

The boy felt small, but he felt like maybe his sensei may have been right. "I-I'll say. Just until I recover."

Minato nodded as he let go of the small boy. Kakashi's face had a bruise on his face that showed at the edge of his mask on his right cheek. Otherwise, the boy looked exhausted and ready to fall over again. Kakashi wasn't sure what else to do but sit there, wanting to go back to his room and grab his special kunai again. He started shivering from realizing how cold it was. Minato noticed his behavior and wrapped an extra blanket around the boy's shoulders.

"Stay here. There's someone who wants to see you," Minato said with a smile as he stood up.

He walked into the hallway and shut the door. Kakashi knew Kushina was going to have a thing or two to say to Kakashi and she was going to hug him to death. Kakashi shivered. He wasn't sure if he could survive Kushina's bear hug in his current condition. Before long, Kushina walked into the room, followed by Tsunade and Minato.

Minato blocked the door as it shut and Kushina walked up to Kakashi and gave him a gentle hug. She looked ready to cry.

"Kashi, you had us so worried," she said softly.

"S-Sorry, Kushina," Kakashi managed to say lowly.

When she let go, Tsunade looked at the boy's face. The woman seemed to be reading his body language and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Kakashi answered, "Fine."

Tsunade snorted and said, "Yeah, I'm sure. Considering how you came in last night, I'm surprised you showed up in one solid piece. Well, there's one thing I do need from you, Kakashi. I need you to explain what happened last night."

Kakashi sighed and told them what he remembered. "My father came home drunk and I was still awake. He called me into the living room and I went to him. He..."

The boy stopped there. Minato's expression was pained, as well as Tsunade's. Kushina was downright angry. Kakashi looked down at his lap, not sure what else to say.

"I think we know what happened from their," she said, trying to save the boy the pain of remembering.

He nodded. "Yeah."

Minato crossed his arms and asked, "Is there anything else that happened last night?"

Kakashi lied, "No, that's all."

They all knew he was lying, obviously. Minato crossed his arms and looked to Kushina, who looked about as convinced as everyone in the room did. Kakashi felt the anxiety burning in his chest. He wasn't sure if he could handle it, so he just shifted and tried to look at his legs instead of them. He felt like the world he was trying to keep together was breaking apart again. He just wanted them to leave him alone and let him be alone. He didn't want them to know, he wanted it to be all to himself. It wasn't like they could help him anyways. He felt like there was nothing for him but the life he was leaving; pain and misery.

Kakashi accepted it, and they were just trying to drive a nail into all of that. He wasn't okay with any of it, but he knew that's how things were going to be for him in the long run. He felt like it would always be that way and it would never really stop. He was now trapped in a place he didn't want to be. He just wanted them to go away.

He wanted them to leave so he could just breakdown and they wouldn't have to see. He just wanted them to leave it all behind them and let it go. He knew all that was over with. Now, they knew, and now, he felt like he really only had one escape.

 **xXxXxXx**

 **Hey guys. Kinda had a creative burst and decided to keep writing today. Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story.**

 **So, I believe amaterasu91 and kayna96 mentioned the little detail about Sakumo committing suicide was not included in the story. This is correct, I kinda wrote that part out of the story to borrow Sakumo for the story. I needed to keep him alive for the story. I will NOT disclose however if he will stay or be written off, that's a later issue.**

 **Also, just realized I was writing Pakku instead of Pakkun (I really, really need to get all my facts together XD).**

 **Thank you guys for all the support and understanding. I also kinda hit a wall for a while with Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 when I was writing them and wasn't sure what direction I was going to go in, but now I kinda know where to go with things. I hope you guys keep reading and leaving me feedback. Also, don't forget to check out my other Naruto stories (granted none of them are finished) and I also have some SVTFOE and RWBY stories, and a Soul Eater fanfic that I will probably work on again very soon (I hope).**

 **Also, I'm not sure how many chapters to do (Maybe 15?), so in the future chapters coming up, prepare yourself. Also, let me know if I mess up another characters name AGAIN please.**

 **-xXstarryXnightXx**


	7. Chapter 6

**Secret of the Copy Ninja**

 **-  
Chapter 6: Sunrise**

"So, is that all that happened last night?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Minato and Kushina weren't entirely convinced. Tsunade sure wasn't convinced. Kakashi felt like a caged stray dog. He wasn't sure why he had to be there and he wasn't sure why they were boxing in on him. They probably expected him to make a run for it, and they were correct to assume so considering Kakashi was intending on running the moment they left him alone.

"Minato, come with me," Tsunade said as she opened the door a few feet away.

Minato nodded and said, "We'll be right back."

Kushina nodded as she sat down where Minato was and sat with Kakashi with a slight smile on her face. Minato left the room with Tsunade and they walked to the living room, where they knew Kakashi wouldn't hear them. Tsunade stood with her arms crossed across from Minato.

"Can you explain to me how exactly you plan on keeping him here, 'cause all I see is a broken child that is going to run back home to the same abuse bastard he calls his father?"

Minato flinched and admitted, "I'm not entirely sure just yet. I want to talk to the Hokage about formally adopting Kakashi and reporting his father."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him. "Minato, taking this boy out of the house doesn't fix all his issues. We don't know what hell this boy has lived through before this point. Do you understand the trauma this boy has been through? We don't know the extent of the damage done to his mind."

Minato knew she was right, but he wasn't willing to back down. He saw his team as his family, and that meant Kakashi as well.

"Tsunade, I understand your point, but we can't just let him go back to all that! I won't let that man abuse an innocent child! I won't allow him to return, whatever that may mean!"

Tsunade sighed, "I would've freaked out even more last night if there had been more blood, you know. Besides that, I think that maybe you should take him to get checked out by the hospital. Physically, he's fine. It's the mental part that worries me most."

Minato commented, "Kakashi's a strong kid, Tsunade."

"I'm not saying he isn't. I'm saying he's a human being. He has feelings and he can feel trauma. Just... Keep an eye on him, please," Tsunade said bitterly.

Minato nodded and said, "Yeah, I know, I know."

She said, "Examine him later and tell me if you see any injuries. Just please, no more blood. God, that was horrible."

Minato laughed weakly and said, "Yeah, sorry about all that."

Tsunade shrugged and left without another word. Minato sighed and walked back down the hall to where Kakashi and Kushina were. Minato opened the door to see Kakashi still curled with his knees to his chest and Kushina sitting where Minato had before he left.

"Sorry about that," Minato said as he entered.

He noticed the worry on Kushina's face and he looked to Kakashi. The boy looked sick and terrified. Minato's face twisted in confusion as he noticed the boy was still shaking.

Minato sat beside Kushina and he asked, "Kakashi, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing. I'm fine," the boy blurted out.

Kushina was clearly saying otherwise. Kushina moved closer to Kakashi and wrapped him in a hug. She held him to her and Minato felt helpless as he watched.

Kakashi put his head down on his knees as Kushina said, "It's okay, Kakashi. It'll be alright."

He just shook his head and Minato asked, "Kakashi?"

"Y-Yes, sensei?"

Minato had to ask him something, he had to know a few things.

"Kakashi, I need to ask you a few questions, okay?"

The boy nodded, waiting anxiously.

"How long has this been going on?"

Kakashi sighed. "It... It's been going on for a while. A few years I'd say. Before, it wasn't like this. After I entered the academy, things started to change. He started drinking and coming home late. After I graduated, things had already gotten violent. However, most recently, he's gotten worse as time has gone on. It started with a few comments and then... It got worse from there."

His voice stopped as he looked down again. Kushina's face filled with pain. She wasn't sure what to do but hug him and try not to go to the compound and break every bone in his fathers body for what he'd done. Minato's expression was the same as Kushina's. He couldn't being to understand what Kakashi had been living with for so long, and somehow, he felt as if he should've known sooner.

Minato sighed and asked, "Is there anything else we don't know?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No..."

His voice failed him. Minato knew the tone Kakashi was using. He was hiding something he knew would upset his sensei, but he still said nothing. He wasn't going to just give up necessary information if it meant something would be changed or altered because of what he had to say. Kushina wrapped the small boy in her arms and put her head on his shoulder. Kakashi's face was pale aside from the redness around his eyes because, finally, he was crying. Silently, he sat there with tears pouring down his face as his body shook.

"Kakashi," Minato said, trying to get him to look up.

The boy looked up slightly, tears still on his face. Minato felt his heart begin to twist. He hated seeing children cry, let alone anyone else. The sensei had seen his share of horror, but something he never got over was a child crying, no matter who it was.

"Yes sensei?"

Minato hated himself for what he was about to ask. "This time, will you please stay? I know you feel like you need to go home, but you shouldn't anymore. Please, just stay here. We won't hurt you."

Kakashi shook his head. "No."

"Kakashi, this is wrong! It's not right for your father to just abuse you like this!"

Kakashi shivered at the word that came out of his mouth. _Abuse._ It was a word that Kakashi never truly understood until his father became abusive. After a while, Kakashi understood clearly the meaning of the word. As much as he wanted to stay, he knew it would lead to lots of problems. He also felt like he still loved his father, the father he knew when he was much, much younger. Kakashi didn't want to give his father up. Partly, he wanted to believe his father could change.

"Sensei, please. He can change," Kakashi begged.

Minato replied, "Kakashi, I did give him a chance. When I walked in after you left the first time, that was me warning him if it happened again, he'd regret that decision. That was his chance to change. He will pay for this."

Kakashi felt panic rising in his chest. He knew he couldn't hold himself together for long. He had to get away from them. He had to do it _now_. Kakashi weakly got up out of the bed and slid off the other side and out of Kushina's hold. She jolted to her feet and Minato tensed up, ready to lung at the boy if he tried to jump out the window again. Kakashi ran to the window, but before he could get the window even open, his sensei had already wrapped is arms around him and started pulling him away.

"Let go of me!" Kakashi hissed.

Minato didn't let go. Kakashi fought his sensei, barely keeping it together. He was trapped, and that was all. He hated being trapped, he hated the feeling that he was stuck and there was no escape. It was at this moment, Kakashi snapped.

"Leave me alone! I just... I just wanna go home," Kakashi began to sob.

He finally lost the little bit of energy he had and lost the will to fight Minato anymore. He broke down into sobs against his sensei's shoulder. Minato felt nothing but agony as Kakashi cried. Kakashi never cried, and even he knew that. Minato picked Kakashi up and carried him to the bed. He set him down carefully and the sobs seemed to quiet down, but his body still shuddered.

"I... I'm sorry..." Kakashi's voice was barely audible.

Minato said softly, "It's okay, Kakashi. You haven't done anything wrong, I promise. We'll figure it out."

The boy shuddered at the thought of things changing once again. He just wanted the father he once knew before he became a drunk and before he got angry at Kakashi for absolutely nothing. Kushina was crying just watching the boy breakdown into tears. He'd been through a lot, and the two adults knew it. There was nothing they could do to fix anything that had been done, but they could at least try to make Kakashi happier and give him a better life at the very least. Minato patted the boys back as his shudders continued, but gradually ceased.

Kushina and Minato concluded Kakashi was just too exhausted and stressed out. Minato and Kushina left Kakashi to sleep after he passed out in Minato's arms. Both adults were hurting just from knowing what was going on. When they left, they made sure to leave the door open in case Kakashi tried to escape again. The two adults sat on their couch, Kushina sobbing into Minato's chest.

Minato knew Kushina loved his students like they were her own children. She treasured all three of them. While Obito was her favorite, she kept Rin and Kakashi close to her heart as well.

"What are we going to do?" Minato asked in a grim tone.

Kushina wiped her eyes and sat up straight. "I think we need to speak to Lord Third about this. We can't just let Sakumo do this anymore. He doesn't deserve to be Kakashi's father either. That bastard, I should've kicked his ass weeks ago."

Minato said, "I know how you feel, but we don't want to upset Kakashi by hurting his father, physically anyway. I will have to speak to Jiraiya about this as well. Should we take Kakashi to the hospital?"

Kushina shook her head. "No, he'll be alright for the moment, he just needs to rest. I think that maybe we should let him rest and speak to the Hokage and see what he wants to do, for now."

Minato nodded and stood up. "Might as well get this over with. Can you keep an eye on Kakashi until I get back?"

She nodded and said, "I can take things from here."

Minato nodded and left to see the Hokage.

 **xXxXxXx**

When Sarutobi finally took a second to take a break from paper work, a knock came to door. Normally, he'd just have someone enter without much resistance, but this time, they waited outside the door. Sarutobi was curious what was going on.

"Come in."

When he replied, a familiar blond shinobi walked into the room. Sarutobi greeted, "Minato, good to see you."

He noticed the look on the sensei's face and realized that this was not going to be good.

Minato said, "I apologize for barging in."

"Nonsense. You're always welcome," Sarutobi replied. "So, what brings you in this early?"

Minato's eyes filled with seriousness. "I would like to report on another shinobi."

Sarutobi had never heard something from Minato like this but a few times. He asked, "Who?"

"Sakumo Hatake. I'd like to have his parental rights taken from him effect of immediately."

Sarutobi was shocked. "Under what grounds?"

"Child abuse."

The Hokage's body language changed from shook to anger. He stood up and asked, "Against Kakashi?"

"Yes sir. Kakashi's summon came to my apartment last night after being summoned. He claimed Kakashi summoned him while unconscious and that he was hurt. I followed him to the compound and found Kakashi. He was severely bruised and had a head injury from a glass bottle being throw into his head. I took him to my apartment and had Tsunade take a look at him. She said it was a miracle his bones weren't broken. She healed him and we kept him overnight. He's awake and he told us what happened," Minato said, summing up the entire story.

Sarutobi asked, "Has this happened before?"

Minato nodded with shame. "A few weeks ago, Kakashi had two broken ribs. Tsunade concluded then he had been hurt by someone. Kakashi lied and said he fell out of a tree. He went home and I followed him, just to be sure what was going on. When I arrived, Sakumo was drunk and he had a kunai to his throat. I knocked him out and took Kakashi with me. He was bruised, but nothing was broken."

The third Hokage asked, "Is Kakashi safe?"

"He's with Kushina."

Sarutobi sighed. "I will speak to the council about this and come to a decision on the matter right away. Until further notice, Kakashi is not allowed to return to the Hatake Compound. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir."

Sarutobi was not in the mood to deal with drunk bastards who hurt children. He was pissed. He left the room and called, "Gather the elders at once! We need to hold an emergency meeting right away!"

Advisers and other shinobi rushed off as asked and Sarutobi walked back into the room. He sighed and said, "Thank you for bring this to my attention, Minato. If you don't mind, please come with me. We need to see the council."

Minato nodded and followed the Hokage down the hallway and into a series of other halls and then into the council room. They both waited as the council members were gathered. Many of them confused yet serious as ever. Some, however, demanded to know what was so urgent they were called in so early. Sarutobi even summoned Jiraiya to the meeting.

"Minato? What's this about?" Jiraiya asked, very confused.

Minato said, "Kakashi."

The white-haired sensei understood with just those words. Minato had told Jiraiya before what happened, and was advised to wait and see if things changed. Clearly, they hadn't. The Toad Sage nodded and stood beside his former student and his former sensei as the meeting began.

"Sarutobi, we're all a little surprised you called an emergency meeting considering this early," the head council woman stated with surprise.

"I understand your surprise and your confusion, do forgive me for the short notice, however we have a matter to discuss about a fellow shinobi," the Hokage replied.

"Do tell."

Sarutobi announced loudly, "I wish to take away the parental rights of Sakumo Hatake for the abuse of his own son."

Some of the council members whispered among themselves, but some were quiet with shock. One of the older men asked, "Do you have any witnesses to such claims and evidence?"

Minato stepped forward and stated, "Yes, sir. I am Kakashi Hatake's sensei. A few weeks ago, Kakashi claimed he broke two ribs falling out of a tree."

"I concluded those injuries did not line up with his story," a familiar female voice interjected from behind him.

Tsunade walked forward from behind the three men and said, "Kakashi's injuries were signs of a fight of sorts. It was unlikely his story was true."

The council remained silent. Minato clarified, "Later that day, I followed Kakashi home and heard loud noises from inside the home and ran inside. When I entered, Sakumo had a kunai to his throat, threatening his son's life. I proceeded to defend Kakashi and left with him. He returned home after he stayed with me and my wife Kushina. Until the other night, his summon came to our apartment and told me Kakashi was seriously hurt and lead me to him at the Hatake Compound. I found him with a head injury and severe bruising. He was unconscious when he summoned Pakkun. I took him with me and Tsunade treated him late last night. He confirmed this morning that his father did attack him and has been for some time."

The council began to ramble and seem to argue among themselves. The head of the council asked, "Where is the boy now?"

"He is with my wife, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze."

"We will discuss this. Please exit while we determine our answer."

Minato, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Sarutobi left the room. Sarutobi looked calm, Tsunade seemed to be thinking very hard about the situation. Jiraiya, however, did what he always did and stared at Tsunade's large breasts while she was too focused to pay him any attention. Minato noticed and sighed, but continued to think to himself as the council behind the door reached a verdict.

 **xXxXxXx**

 **Yes, I know, lots of chapters and updates and all that at once. To be honest, I felt like having a productive day and was inspired to write a whole lot. Seriously, some chapters are just so hard to work through and leave you stuck plot wise (chapter 4 made me hit a creative road block). Hope you guys enjoy the updates and the story so far. Prepare yourselves for the next chapter, because we're going dark. Like, darker than this story has seen yet. Hope you guys are ready for more angst and probably dying inside a little bit more.**

 **I know where the story will end, it's the whole getting there part that always gets me. All my stories, fanficiton or not, I know the ending and the beginning before the middle. Anyone else? No? (Just me?)**

 **Not sure if or when the next update will be, to be honest. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy.**

 **-xXstarryXnightXx**


	8. Chapter 7

**Secret of the Copy Ninja**

 **-  
Chapter 7: The Verdict**

Due to the fact that Sakumo miraculously went on a mission hours before the council came to a decision to have him attest to his crime, they waited for him to return from his mission that was very top secret. Minato and Kushina kept a close eye on Kakashi while he was gone. Kakashi was as quiet as ever, keeping to himself and reading the books he went to the Compound (against Minato's orders) to get from his room. His bad habit had been hard to keep up with hiding considering Kushina and Minato were always near him at the apartment.

Kakashi, however, managed to go to train while Minato had to help the Hokage or go on a brief mission. Kakashi made sure to keep it on the down low the best he could, but the anxiety was eating him alive it seemed. He just wanted it to all _stop_. It was all too much; he just wanted his father to be who he was before the drinking and the abuse even started. The young boy was at a loss for just about everything. Kakashi had barely eaten or slept since he was ordered to stay with Minato and Kushina. If they dared to look at his arms or his thighs, they'd see what Kakashi was really hiding.

It wasn't long before things started to get complicated. One day after training, Kakashi went off to train alone. He let Minato know, and despite his better judgment, Minato let him do so. Kakashi started off in the opposite direction of Rin and Obito when Rin pulled Obito aside with a strange look on her face.

"Hey, Obito? Can I ask you something?"

The young Uchiha nodded. "Sure. What's up?"

"It's Kakashi. I know Sensei said not to worry about him, but I noticed something weird earlier."

Obito scuffed, "If you haven't noticed, Kakashi is weird. He's always been weird."

Rin rolled her eyes. "I mean weirder than normal. I'm worried about him."

"What did you notice earlier?"

Rin looked at Obito with a concerned look on her face. "I saw a scratch coming from under his gloves. It looked like it was just part of one and I saw what looked like a small end of another one."

Obito looked confused. "So, you think he's been fighting with someone?"

"Maybe. I don't know, but I know something's not right."

Obito agreed with her. He'd noticed for a while, ever since Kakashi started to get weird injuries or bruising, he knew something was going on. He may have wanted to be stronger than Kakashi, but Obito still cared about him. They were teammates after all.

"I was thinking maybe we could follow him," Rin admitted, her face flushed.

Obito shrugged. "Sure. If you think it'll help."

Rin smiled and nodded. The two then followed Kakashi from a distance, knowing where he was probably going. They kept quiet for a while and watched Kakashi practice hitting targets. For what seemed like an hour he kept it up, until he stopped. He fell over, seeming exhausted.

"Kakashi!" Rin gasped as she ran over with Obito behind her.

They ran over to their teammate to find he passed out. They saw the dark circles that seemed darker than they should've been. The two looked at each other and looked at Kakashi's left arm. Obito saw Rin was right. Two fractions of what looked like cuts poked out from the edge of his gloves that covered most of his forearm.

Suddenly, Minato rushed out from the trees beside them. Rin and Obito jumped back, startled by their sensei.

"Minato-sensei! What are you doing here?"

He said nothing as he noticed the marks they had been staring at. He also may have been listening in on their conversation earlier and thought it might be worth looking into. Minato leaned over the small white-haired boy and picked him up. Minato looked down at Kakashi and then to Rin and Obito.

"Sensei, what the hell is going on?" Obito demanded, sounding worried.

"Don't worry about it, guys. Everything's going to be fine. Kakashi's just asleep. I'll take him home, alright?" Minato offered with a smile.

The two younger ninja nodded, trying to let it go. Minato rushed off with Kakashi. He rushed through the trees for a short bit and put Kakashi against the base of a tree. Minato pulled down they boy's left glove only to be horrified.

There were about thirty of them on Kakashi's arm. Some were a few days old and some were new. Minato looked at Kakashi's right arm and noticed more with the same variation. He should've seen this coming, but Minato was hoping things hadn't come to this.

 _Kakashi,_ Minato thought to himself, lost for words. He picked his student up and covered his arms up. Minato rushed off to take Kakashi home. He made it there just as Kushina was making dinner. Minato walked in with Kakashi and Kushina looked over with a sad look on her face.

"What happened?"

"He passed out. He'll wake up soon enough," Minato said, still trying to gather his thoughts.

"Okay, what aren't you tell me?"

Minato looked at Kushina and said, "Look at his arms."

She looked at them confused, and then pulled down Kakashi's gloves. Kushina was just as lost as Minato was. She hugged Minato, who was still holding the sleeping boy.

"We'll figure this out, ya know?"

Minato nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to put Kakashi in his room and wait for him to wake up. I think he and I need to talk about this."

Kushina just nodded, unsure what to say. She stood there with her arms crossed as Minato walked down the hall to Kakashi's room. He opened the door and set Kakashi his bed. The blond sensei pulled the covers over the small boy and sat on the edge of the bed. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He wasn't sure what to do about this or how to really help Kakashi. He knew that his father being put on trial would surely cause the boy more stress. Minato wanted to avoid all of that, but in order to help Kakashi, it had to be done.

Minato sighed and realized that the most he could do was wait for Kakashi to wake up. The young sensei didn't want to watch his student do this to himself and he didn't want it to tear him apart. He was so young, granted he tried to prove to Minato that he wasn't just a child, the fact was that Kakashi was still a child. Minato couldn't think of anything to do but talk to Kakashi when he woke up, which was going to be hell to say the least. Minato wasn't even sure if he could handle what Kakashi would say or do when he had to sit down and confront him.

 **xXxXxXx**

Kakashi woke up feeling as if he'd been hit by a train. He looked around to see he was at his sensei's apartment. Kakashi last remembered training in the woods before he fell asleep. He rubbed his head as he sat up. When he did, he noticed the door to his room was open. He was confused until he tried to get up, only to realize he couldn't really move. He then noticed Minato walk over to the doorway and poke his head into the room to and locked eyes with Kakashi.

Minato looked exhausted and worried about something. He walked into the room and said, "Good morning, Kakashi."

"Good morning, sensei."

Minato sat down on the edge of Kakashi's bed and asked, "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine."

Minato nodded and said, "Good, because, we need to talk."

Kakashi felt a chill go down his spine. He tilted his head to the side, not even considering what his sensei might have found out.

Minato asked quietly, "Why didn't you say anything, Kakashi?"

"About what?"

His sensei lightly grabbed his wrist and said, "You know what I'm talking about, Kakashi."

The young boy seemed to freeze. He wasn't sure what was worse, the fact his sensei knew, or the pure panic that began to stir inside his mind. Kakashi was almost as white as a sheet of paper and his eyes looked almost broken. He felt the sting inside his chest and the hurt that maybe his sensei wouldn't want to teach him or even be associated with him anymore because of it.

Minato reached over to the boy and gave him a hug. Kakashi was still in shock, but this time, he felt calmer.

"Kakashi, it's okay now. I understand you've had it rough the past few years and I can't just undo everything that's happened, but I promise, it'll get better. We won't let anyone hurt you anymore, okay? Just please, stay here with us. We won't hurt you, I swear. Kushina and I will treat you like our own and we'll all be happy together, just please, don't leave us," Minato begged.

Kakashi wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that he felt like a pity party, or that fact that he couldn't find it in himself to trust what Minato had to say. The boy sat there quietly, hoping his sensei would let him go and leave him alone long enough to shut and lock the door. It was too much, way too much considering what was going on. He just wanted to crawl away and hide.

Minato patted the boy's head and asked quietly, "Can you talk your gloves off for me?"

Kakashi didn't want to, but for whatever reason, he did it anyway. He figured his sensei already had seen, so what would it change? He pulled the off and put them on the nightstand next to the bed and sat there quietly. He kept his arms on his lap and Minato stared at the scars and cuts that remained on the boy's arms. He wasn't disappointed, no, he just wanted to make it all go away for Kakashi. He didn't deserve this, and Minato didn't know what else to do besides sit there in silence and watch until he saw the tears in Kakashi's eyes.

Minato asked, "Is this all of it?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. My legs as well."

The sensei could only nod and he let everything sink in. He wasn't sure how this could happen and how Kakashi hid it from them for so long. This wasn't right, and Minato knew it. Still, he didn't blame Kakashi. Considering the boy had an abusive drunk to call his father and no mother, Minato understood why, but he couldn't come to a conclusion on how to make it stop.

Kakashi asked quietly, "Are you... Angry?"

Minato looked at the small child with a sad look on his face. "No, Kakashi. I'm not angry at you and I'm not disappointed if that's where you're going next. I just... I want you to know we're here for you. I'm admittedly shocked, but not angry."

He nodded, looking down at his knees again. Minato patted Kakashi on his head. Kakashi flinched at the touch. Minato had nearly forgotten he had to be careful; the boy was probably convinced Minato and Kushina would do what his father did to him and hurt him. Minato wouldn't hurt Kakashi like that.

After a few moments passed by, Minato felt Kakashi's body shudder. He looked up to see Kakashi wiping at his eyes. Minato carefully pulled the boy into a hug. Kakashi put his head on his sensei's shoulder and started to cry quietly. Minato heard a soft sob from the small boy and it nearly made Minato want to get up and find Sakumo to kick his ass.

Minato heard footsteps from the hallway as Kushina walked up to the doorway. She stood there quietly and looked at Minato. He gave her a sad look as she walked over. She wrapped her pale arms around both Minato and Kakashi.

"We love you, 'Kashi. Nothing can change that."

Kakashi shuddered a bit more violently and his sobs were louder. Kushina was crying just listening to him cry. Minato just wanted to rip Sakumo to pieces so much it almost hurt. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the small boy crying in front of him.

When Kakashi heard Kushina crying, he wiggled free of their hug and looked at her, worried.

"Are you okay?"

Kushina nodded and wiped her eyes. "I'm fine, ya know?"

Kakashi nodded and Minato looked at him. His face was pink and his eyes were red from crying. Kakashi did look so much younger when he cried. Minato had never seen Kakashi cry, and when he did, Minato knew it was something that was nearly heart-wrenching.

 **xXxXxXx**

 **Hey guys! Yeah, I know, it's been FOREVER and stuff, and I'm sorry for that. This chapter has been done for a while, but I forgot about it and it's a little short. To be honest, my dad died in September and I'm still piecing together everything, trying anyways. Thanks for hanging in there and sticking with the story for so long. Sorry it took a year to get this far. I've gone through three jobs and several health issues that still have not been resolved, so fan fiction was put on the back burner for a while. Sorry for the wait, but hope you enjoy the story and please let me know what you think. You guys are awesome!**

 **-xXstarryXnightXx**


	9. Chapter 8

**Secret of the Copy Ninja**

 **-  
Chapter 8: Dying Slowly**

He sat in his room, quietly hoping his father would just go the hell away. His door was locked and he was so quiet, he could barely hear his own breathing. Kakashi was horrified at the fact his father got off with a warning and told him the Hokage would be checking in on them from time-to-time. Kakashi wasn't sure where this was going to go as far as his father's drinking and anger, but he knew that things would be hell and there was no fixing. He didn't have a chance the first place, so Kakashi just grimly accepted his fate to be his father's punching bag for the foreseeable future. Things hadn't changed a bit, if anything, had gotten worse.

The white-haired boy sat on his bed, hoping someday his father would just leave or beat him to death to get it over with. Curled on his bed with his knees to his chest, the young Kakashi waited in silence as he waited for the beating and abuse that came with a normal day at the Hatake household. Kakashi tried fighting the negative thoughts that ran rapidly through his mind as he awaited the torment to come. When, he didn't know, but he knew it would come soon. It was the afternoon and his father went out, so more likely than not, he was going to come home drunk and volatile.

 _This is the true meaning of hell,_ Kakashi thought morbidly to himself.

No amount of caring Minato or Kushina showed him would change that fact. He was still stuck in the same craptastic life he was born into. He wished something would change; either he die or maybe get taken from his father for good. He couldn't take the stress anymore; it was tearing him apart inside. It had been for years, but eventually, he'd reach the tip of the iceberg. He could see it approaching sooner than expected. He thought he'd have a little more time, but he knew he had to start making decisions that would either go as planned or mess up as always.

He thought he was smart, but he knew partly not all of him was that smart. He wasn't sure where exactly he would find himself, but he knew that wherever it was, it was truly screwed up. He wasn't sure what he needed to do besides face facts and get over his bullshit. He couldn't no matter how hard he tried. Despite his efforts, nothing had changed it never would. He started to wonder if maybe there was something he was missing in all his calculation while he tried to come to a conclusive solution to all these problems he faced.

Kakashi knew his fate would be nothing but but hellish to say the least. There was no bright side in all this chaos. There was nothing to do but sit back and plot against the plans he knew were in place to give him more trouble. There was no avoiding it or preventing some of it, but there were some things he could avoid.

Now, he sat in a situation that left uncertainty open. He wasn't sure what was about to happen, but he knew something was about to go horribly wrong. Kakashi wanted to get it over with so he could get back to hiding away. The pit in his stomach told him pain would soon follow as he knew the rage was coming to get him. His father wouldn't let this slide, not by a long shot. The man would potentially kill him, and Kakashi accepted that if it was how he was going to die. At least he wouldn't have to worry about the details and it would be no extra weight on his mind before he died. He'd die a horrible and bloody death. He was fine with that. He was accepting of that fact. It's not like he had a way around it anyways.

It wasn't long after these thoughts became clouds in his mind that distracted him from what was going on around him. He looked up, hearing his door open.

His father stood there holding a rope in his hands. Kakashi could smell the alcohol from his bed that was several feet from his father. Sakumo walked forwards, the rope swinging as it hung from his hands. Kakashi had a moment of reflection before he knew the hell he was about to endure was maybe the last pain he'd ever feel. His father's eyes were filled with anger while his face was calm and relaxed.

"Kakashi," he said lowly. "I hope you understand the consequences of your actions."

The boy looked back down at the floor, knowing what was about to befall him.

"Yes sir."

Sakumo smirked, having a sinister look on his face. He grabbed the rope and hit Kakashi with it. The rope bounced of Kakashi's face as he was knocked back. In the process of this, his head hit the wall, almost knocking him out. The back of his head screamed out in pain as he grabbed the back of his head. His father grabbed him by his throat as the threw him into the floor.

Kakashi didn't have much time to react other than to reach out and try to fight back and his father started to wrap the rope in his hands around his son's neck. Sakumo tied a knot behind Kakashi's neck and started pulling. Kakashi felt the rope tighten more and more again against his throat. He felt the lack of oxygen hit his brain within moments of the desperate gasps for air started involuntarily. He tried clawing at the ropes and trying to get the rope lose from his neck. His father only pulled the rope tighter around his son's neck.

The white-haired boy tried to turn to look at him and Sakumo kicked his face. Kakashi fell against the floor as he felt the rope loosen enough to let him breathe. He was gasping in relief as oxygen started to reach his lungs.

"Listen here, boy. If you think you can pull that little stunt again, you'd be incorrect. I'll make sure this gets into that stupid fucking skull for yours," Sakumo growled.

Kakashi's eyes widened as his father tightened the rope again. Kakashi tried to get a grip on the rope once again. He was clawing hard at the rope. He then felt the scratches against his neck start to burn as he tried to get free. As much as it was hurting him to have the rope digging into the scratches, he was more focused on getting free.

"You are nothing! You're nothing but a spoiled little brat who thinks he knows everything!"

Kakashi felt his lungs start to burn even more as the rope didn't let up. He wasn't sure how long he'd been clawing at his neck. His mind was getting foggier by the moment. All his thoughts were around the fact he couldn't breathe and he needed to get free. The dread and fear in his stomach made him feel like his chest and his head were going to explode. His vision got foggy just before the rope was loosened.

Once again, he was gasping and coughing as he tried to inhale the air as fast as humanly possible. He was lying against the cold floor, unable to get back up again. He had no fight left in him. There was no escape and there was nothing to make this end. It would only keep happening over and over again.

This was one of the few times Kakashi let the tears in his eyes slip out in front of his father. He felt hopeless. He knew his father wouldn't kill him, but he'd make sure the message was clear to him. The fabric around his neck was torn to shreds by his finger nails as he tried to get free.

"That was fun. I think we'll have another round to make sure things are clear to you," Sakumo laughed coldly.

Sakumo yanked Kakashi by his shirt to sit up. Kakashi barely kept himself up right. Before Kakashi could get the words out of his mouth to beg him to stop, the rope was choking him once again. He was pulling against the rope, leaning forwards, unable to keep from falling forwards. Kakashi's brain was begging for this to end. His mind was screaming for help as he was struggling against the rope. He was barely able to lift his arms before his father loosened the rope again.

Kakashi fell against the floor, only able to gasp for air. His father started kicking into his ribs again. Kakashi knew he wouldn't break them this time. He's make sure they weren't broken so he didn't leave a trace. He boy was curled in the floor, unable to move or speak. It was all he could do to gasp for air between kicks.

Sakumo stopped kicking as Kakashi was hyperventilating against the floor.

"I'll let you off easy this time. It better not happen again."

His father left, leaving the rope around Kakashi's neck. He shut the door behind himself with a loud slam. Kakashi could barely see the door shut. He hoped his father was going to leave for the night and not come home until the next day. Kakashi sat against the floor trying not to pass out whilst trying to calm his breathing down. He cried as he was trying to get a hold of himself. He eventually started to see the room around him grow darker as his breathing improved slightly.

His mind went to the darkest places as he remained barely conscious. He curled into a ball, trying to ignore the pain. He knew the rope left bruising at the very least. Felt the pain rise in his chest as he felt more alone than before. He wanted nothing more than to end his suffering. He wanted his father to love him and treat him like he was his son. Kakashi knew that was never going to happen. He knew in his heart his father wouldn't change no matter what. His father was nothing more than abusive drunk and Kakashi didn't want to say it out loud, but he bitterly accepted that fact.

Normal was never an option for him, and it was clear to him. His breathing started to calm as he mentally broke down. He sobbed against the floor, pulling his knees to his chest. He wanted nothing more than to believe this was all a nightmare or that he was dead and just didn't know it or feel it. Eventually, he pulled the rope off from around his neck and threw it across the floor.

His mind wanted to be dead, his heart wanted the same. He couldn't accept the fact that this was his life; he refused to believe this was his punishment just for being alive. He didn't ask to be born; he didn't ask for the pain that was inflicted on him on a daily basis. He wanted it to stop, whatever it took. The more he sat in the room he almost died in, he felt more and more like he was damned no matter what he did. Minato didn't have to know the details of the situation, and Kakashi would keep him from finding out.

Despite the abuse he took from his father, he still loved him. He wasn't always so violent; there was a time where he was an amazing father. That time ended, and now, this is what remained of their relationship. It ate Kakashi up thinking about the fact that all of this was his fault. None of this would be going on and nobody would have gotten hurt if he'd never been born. He was convinced that this was all his fault and he couldn't do anything to save himself let alone fix the problems he had caused. Deep down, he knew this was all his fault and that somewhere in all this, there was nothing he could do to save himself. He couldn't fight his father off simply because he was a child and his father was more skilled than he was by far. There was no winning; only surviving another hellish day.

Eventually, Kakashi got off the floor and crawled onto his bed. He laid there for what felt like hours before he passed out, managing to stop his sobs in hopes he'd wake up and this was all a sick dream.

When he opened his eyes, Kakashi saw sunlight just peaking into his room from the window. He sighed, letting out a breath of relief. When he did, his throat felt raw, like he'd been screaming for hours on end. His face feel to horror as he remembered what had happened the night before. He felt his neck only to wince and the bruising and the scratches. He hoped he could pass off that he was coming down with something so Minato wouldn't get suspicious and investigate.

Kakashi didn't hear anything from the living room as he remained silent, hoping his father was gone. He was pretty confident he wasn't home once again. He felt relief as he got off his bed and then got changed so he could go to train with his team again. He didn't want to leave the house, but he also didn't want to encounter his father again. He knew that would be far worse than going to training in his condition. His ribs were bruised too, but considering the pain in his throat, he tried not to ignore it the best he could.

He got dressed and left quickly so he wouldn't be late and draw more attention to himself. He walked down the streets once again, getting the glares and hearing the faint whispers among the people around him. There was no feeling as he walked down the streets. He knew there was no point in telling them off. He walked with a shadow haunting behind him no matter where he went. There was nothing to stop it or save him the grief to begin with. He could do nothing to please anyone, so he would do what he did best; keep a distance.

He walked silently, just wanting the day to be over so he could hide somewhere for a while. He wanted to stay gone from home, but at the same time, he had to find somewhere else to go to. He couldn't involve Minato anymore. He felt bad enough his father probably was going to confront the sensei for having anything to do with Kakashi. For that, he felt guilty for putting his sensei at such a risk in the first place.

Kakashi arrived at the training grounds as usual; waiting to see Rin and Obito. Instead, the area was empty. Kakashi felt the dread hit his stomach as he started looking around calmly. Had they left him behind for a mission? Or did they just not show up at all? The thoughts ran through Kakashi's head as he looking in the trees and felt more and more dread in his stomach.

"Kakashi?"

He almost jumped out of the tree as he heard his sensei's voice. He looked down from the branch he stood on and saw his teacher looking up at him from below. He looked confused, almost like he wasn't sure what Kakashi was doing there in the first place. Kakashi jumped down, only to wince as he did so. His ribs weren't happy about his landing in the slightest.

Minato walked forwards and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought we were meeting here today."

Minato rubbed the back of his neck and said with a cheeky smile, "I told Rin and Obito to stay home today. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay."

Kakashi flinched and back up against the tree. He crossed his arms, keeping in mind his ribs were surely going to hurt if he put too much pressure on them. He hoped Minato wouldn't notice, but he knew deep down he would find out eventually if he didn't already know.

"So, how are you doing?" Minato asked, holding his smile.

"I'm fine," Kakashi answered in a dull voice.

Minato frowned. "Are you sure about that?"

The boy nodded, trying to ignore the pain in his throat as he spoke. He was trying not to let it bother him in front of Minato, but clearly, that wasn't working.

"Are you sick, Kakashi? Your voice sounds a little rough."

The boy nodded. "Yeah, a bit. I'll be fine."

Minato crossed his arms and gave the boy a serious look. He knew by his body language that something wasn't right. Minato knew his student too well to think otherwise. Kakashi wasn't sick, otherwise, he'd tell him. Minato wouldn't let him do anything if he were sick; he'd send him home right away. He was also moving as if he were trying to hide any kind of discomfort.

Kakashi took a few steps away and said quietly, "I'd better get home then."

Minato grabbed Kakashi's wrist lightly and he said quietly, "Kakashi, wait."

The boys body shuddered. He knew what was going to happen. The questions and the interrogation he was about to face wasn't going to be pleasant in the slightest. Kakashi was too exhausted to fight his sensei about anything. He gave in.

Minato let go of his arm. "Did he..."

Kakashi looked at the ground and gave a small nod. The light grip on Kakashi's arm loosened as Minato drew his hand back. Minato sat down at the base of the tree, patting the spot beside him. Kakashi gave in and slowly sat down beside him. Kakashi sat there quietly, not meeting the eyes of his sensei.

"What happened, Kakashi?"

Kakashi rubbed his neck and started explaining what happened. He leaned with his back against the base of the tree, trying to stay collected as he explained the story. Minato's face was calm until Kakashi finished explaining what happened.

"Is that all that happened?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes."

Minato asked, "How bad is your neck?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Dunno."

His sensei sighed. "Kakashi, why don't you just stay with us for the night? I won't tolerate this."

The boy shrugged and said, "Its worse if I leave. I'll be fine. He'll be going on a mission soon enough; so don't worry."

Minato said bitterly, "Kakashi, that's not the point. He's hurting you and that's not right. As a teacher, I can't just sit back and let this keep happening. I'm not letting this go."

Kakashi stood up and said numbly, "I know. That doesn't change anything, though. I'm stuck."

Minato felt his heart drop to his stomach. "Kakashi, you don't have to be. Trust me, I'll do my best to help you. Okay?"

The boy started walking away without another word.

 **xXxXx**

 **Hello again. I know its been a while. I do apologize; life got in the way. I hope you are doing well. Thank you guys for all the support. I'm so happy you enjoy the story! Thank you guys for everything!**

 **-xXstarryXnightXx**


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